Seventeen million people in two states have been given an urgent red flag warning about the risk of fire where they live. Tonight some families are taking stock of the wreckage others fighting the fire with -- garden hoses. And for some this is what they're up against look and listen. That is the war of a wildfire. In Carlsbad outside San Diego and that is where we find ABC's -- city of Vegas Cecilia. Diane good evening to you what a day it has been the firefighters just put the fire out at this house here you can see. This is a battle they did not -- take a look at this smoke here still -- Still smoldering flames in the back back there. What these firefighters are up against out here extremely hot temperatures really high gusts of winds making for -- treacherous -- fight a fire. The Golden State -- believes. All. My. In Carlsbad California firefighters and if people whose homes they are trying to save on the losing end of a raging battle and 35 years and this is some of the most radical firefight in -- this guys here apocalyptic. 151000 evacuation notice -- issued homes destroyed torched in a matter of minutes. These funds are so hot and they are moving so quickly this is a talented C plus plus going up and second in fact I think we should get let's go we -- adding that it's not -- Listen to the whipping winds. Eight firefighters worst enemy the crews here can't keep up -- weren't dealing with any. Bigger keep suiting up one after the next after that. And the fires creating sites like this tornado of smoke it seemed to defy physics. Any single day in a fifteen mile radius three major Southern California fires burning fueled by record breaking heat. From the air you can see the plumes of smoke including a fast moving brush fire forcing evacuations on Camp Pendleton. The largest marine training facility on the West Coast. And scattering of smaller fires the major freeway between LA and San Diego shut down as crews rushed to put out sparks from a truck. In Long Beach palm trees burning residence dumping water from pools to put out the flames. Further south in San Diego where nearly 16100. Acres -- up in flames yesterday. Homeowners returning still on high alert firefighters and their backyards as they continue to battle hot spot. It's the biggest challenge and -- hiring. -- big wins. It's a high pressure system that comes -- and here is not typical it's time here but that's Southern California -- -- Around. And this is what we're seeing out here this evening -- field completely torch burned land as far as the eye can see and again take a look at this. This house completely destroyed. This was the garage but this is what I really want you to see this home right -- -- right next order it. Complete -- -- that's what this fire did hotspots fueled by these hot winds jumping from house to house to house neighborhood to neighborhood. The owner of this home telling me Diane he is lucky he made it out alive -- -- they weren't there on the front lines of a lot of brave firefighters tonight thank you -- area.

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